AtheroGenics Announces Key Promotions in Research and Development

ATLANTA, GA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- February 7, 2007 -- AtheroGenics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGIX), a
pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of chronic inflammatory
diseases, today announced three key promotions within its research and
development infrastructure. Charles Kunsch, Ph.D. has been promoted to
Vice President Biology; James A. Sikorski, Ph.D. has been promoted to Vice
President Medicinal Chemistry; and Cynthia L. Sundell, Ph.D. has been
promoted to Vice President Pharmacology. Drs. Kunsch, Sikorski and Sundell
all report directly to Rob Scott, M.D., Executive Vice President of
Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer at AtheroGenics.

"It gives me tremendous pleasure to announce the promotions of these three
leaders of research, as we cultivate the next generation of leadership at
AtheroGenics," stated Dr. Scott. "I congratulate all on their achievements
and look forward to working with them in their enhanced roles at
AtheroGenics as we continue to grow our Company."

Charles Kunsch, Ph.D., was promoted to Vice President Biology from Senior
Director of Biological Research. Dr. Kunsch, who joined AtheroGenics in
1997, oversees the Biology Department which is responsible for a range of
discovery efforts focused on identifying and characterizing new drug
candidates for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Prior to joining
AtheroGenics, he was employed at Human Genome Sciences, Inc. as a Research
Scientist in the Department of Exploratory Research from 1993-1997, and at
the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology from 1991-1993. Dr. Kunsch is an
ad-hoc reviewer for more than 15 peer-reviewed journals, co-inventor on
more than 22 patents and patent applications and author or co-author of 55
peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters and review articles.

James A. Sikorski, Ph.D., was promoted to Vice President Medicinal
Chemistry from Senior Director of Medicinal Chemistry. Dr. Sikorski, who
joined AtheroGenics in 2001, oversees the Medicinal Chemistry Department
which is responsible for the identification, synthesis, scale-up and
process chemistry development of new chemical entities suitable for
therapeutic use. Prior to joining AtheroGenics, Dr. Sikorski was Science
Fellow in Medicinal Chemistry at Pharmacia. With over 24 years of
experience combined between the Monsanto, Searle and Pharmacia
organizations, he contributed to successful drug discovery programs for
cardiovascular, inflammatory and infectious diseases. Dr. Sikorski is
co-inventor on more than 120 issued U.S. patients and has authored or
co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters
and review articles. He has received two awards for research in
enzyme-targeted inhibitor design: The St. Louis American Chemical Society
Award and the International Kenneth A. Spencer Award.

Cynthia L. Sundell, Ph.D., was promoted to Vice President Pharmacology from
Director of Pharmacology. Dr. Sundell, who joined AtheroGenics in 1995 as
one of its first full-time employees, is responsible for managing the
Pharmacology department which is responsible for the in vivo preclinical
pharmacological characterization of compounds in the areas of
cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and chronic transplant
rejection. These activities have led to three initial new drug applications
and one near-term new drug application. Dr. Sundell is a co-inventor on two
patent applications and author or co-author of 16 peer-reviewed scientific
articles and review articles. From 1990 to 1995, she was on the faculty of
the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine where she
conducted research in the areas of vascular and pulmonary biology.

About AtheroGenics

AtheroGenics is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization
of novel drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases,
including heart disease (atherosclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
The Company has two drug development programs currently in the clinic.
AtheroGenics' lead compound, AGI-1067, is being evaluated in the pivotal
Phase III ARISE clinical trial as an oral therapy for the treatment of
atherosclerosis, in collaboration with AstraZeneca. AGI-1096 is a novel,
oral agent in Phase I that is being developed for the prevention of organ
transplant rejection in collaboration with Astellas. AtheroGenics also has
preclinical programs in rheumatoid arthritis and asthma utilizing its
proprietary vascular protectant® technology. For more information about
AtheroGenics, please visit http://www.atherogenics.com.